The Internet provides a convenient way to interact by electronic communications and to request various types of information. People can use the Internet to communicate with each other, share information, and organize virtual communities (e.g., a social network).
A social network is typically a social structure in which a network of nodes can be used to represent a network of individuals or organizations and the connections between the nodes in the network represent the direct social connections. Web sites can be used to register the social connections of members of a social network and provide features such as automatic address book updates, viewable profiles, services to introduce members to each other to make new social connections, etc. Some social networks are organized around business connections, while other social networks are organized around common personal interests.
One way of interacting on the Internet is by use of the Twitter service, which is a social networking service that lets its users send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based messages of up to 140 characters that are delivered to the user's subscribers (who are known as followers). Users are able to send and receive tweets via the Twitter website. Users can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users are able to follow lists of authors instead of merely following individual authors.